The Radio Equalizer: Brian Maloney

11 September 2007

Talk Radio, 9-11 Attacks, Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA)

A MISUNDERSTANDING?

During 9-11 Ceremony, MA Gov Gives PC Version Of Events







During a ceremony intended to honor the victims of 9-11, particularly the hundreds of Bay Staters killed that day, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick took the low road, infuriating citizens and local radio talk show hosts.

Rather than point the finger of blame directly at 9-11's culprits, terrorists who seek to destroy all of America in the name of Islam, the Democrat dismissed the events of that day as a mere "failure of human understanding".

From the Boston Globe:


As fog shrouded the State House steps, Governor Deval Patrick led a solemn ceremony this morning to mark the sixth anniversary of Sept. 11, calling the terrorist attacks of 2001 "a failure of human understanding."

"We meet to honor the lives of the 206 sons and daughters of our community who were lost six years ago," Patrick told a group of 200 people, including officials and victims' relatives, gathered at the flag pole on the Capitol lawn. "Our tribute is for each of them, and our condolences are with each of you."

While "The Star-Spangled Banner" was sung, the flag was raised to the top of the pole and then slowly lowered halfway back down. Two men played "Taps" on trumpets.

A crowd of 75 onlookers gathered at the bottom of the steps, watching the ceremony from the opposite side of the black, wrought-iron fence.


Hours later, local talker Howie Carr pounced on the governor for his poor choice of words, which strongly implied the United States at least partly brought 9-11 upon itself. Callers quickly joined in to denounce Patrick.

Even before it began, Governor Patrick had been under fire for his partisan- inspired tinkering with the event's guest list, according to the Boston Herald:


For the first time in four years, Jim Ogonowski, a Republican now running against Democrat Niki Tsongas for the 5th District seat being vacated by Meehan, isn’t a featured speaker at the ceremony, held today at 10 a.m.

Meehan, whose wife is chairing Tsongas’ campaign, is due to speak, which has led Republicans to accuse Democrats of playing politics with the emotional event. Tsongas has said she wants Ogonowski, whose brother, John, died piloting one of the hijacked planes on Sept. 11, 2001, to speak.

Ogonowski was a featured speaker in past years, invited by former Gov. Mitt Romney. Ogonowski is still expected to attend the event. In past years, he has raised the American flag and eulogized his brother at 8:46 a.m., when the first of two hijacked planes hit the World Trade Center. Patrick aides say the governor let the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund handle the program.


Considering that some of the 9-11 hijackers used Logan Airport to facilitate their acts of terrorism, don't Governor Patrick's remarks seem especially insensitive? At least the MoveOn.org crowd will be pleased.


NOTE: This post has been updated (16 Sept 07), click here for new details.

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9-11 2007 images: Boston Globe, George Rizer

published by Brian Maloney at 16:42

12 Comments:

  • I don't live in TAXACHUSETTS, but have relatives who live there and I think they would agree with me when I say about Deval Patrick...


    WORST. GOVERNOR. EVER!

    By Blogger The Real Bob Anthony, at 11 September, 2007 18:26  

  • Taxachusetts? Tell me, The Real Bob Anthony, are you ever capable of making a comment without spewing a Rushie/right wing cliche? And do you introduce yourself to people as The Real Bob Anthony? I bet you even use air quotes.

    No, we were attacked for no reason whatsoever. Out of the blue. Of course our toppling of Mossadegh and the installation of the puppet Shah of Iran, our support of Israel's incursions into Egypt in an attempt to secure the Suez Canal and the Sinai, our creation, training and support of and abandonment of the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan, our involvement in the war on Lebanon, our unilateral support of Israel's occupation of the Gaza, West Bank and the Golan Heights, our propping up of Saddam Hussein, our arming of Hussein against the Iranians and the million plus Islamic deaths that resulted thereof, our invasion of Somalia, our wink-wink nudge nudge tacit approval of Hussein's invasion of Kuwait followed by our invasion of Iraq, our sanctions and enforcement of the no-fly zone of Iraq through constant bombardment that led to the death of half of million civilians, our heavy handedness against Palestinians and the Middle East, our propping up of the Saudi, Egyptian and Moroccan dictatorships... none of these were factors that led to our being attacked on 9/11... where they The Real Bob Anthony?

    You remind me of the punk kid that throws rocks and pokes sticks at a dog through a fence and express suprise and outrage when he jumps the fence and bites you.

    You may not get it, The Real Bob Anthony, but most Americans do. That's why you right wing morons and your failed ideology and foreign policy are being summarily dismissed by the vast majority of Americans and the rest of the world.

    Your philosophy is as cliche as your name.

    By Blogger Dave Carroll, at 11 September, 2007 20:02  

  • 9/11 is "a failure of human understanding"??? WTF
    What a typical Democrat hack answer!

    I used to live in Taxachusetts and Deval Patick is definitely the WORST GOVERNOR EVER! I'm glad I am out of the state.

    Even though the state is overrun with political wacko left liberals who pander to the PC crowd, let’s consider the bright side of Massachusetts: the continuing "Big Dig" disaster.

    Massachusetts could lose not one, but two seats in Congress after the 2010 census. Talk about a silver lining - bye-bye Barney, adios Olver, move on Meehan, take a hike Tierney.

    The rest of the country will get a chuckle out of the state's predicament, because Massachusetts is a laughingstock, more so than ever after the combination of Third World-style corruption and incompetence called the "Big Dig" that has brought Boston to its knees.


    Fill in your own favorite Massachusetts embarrassment:

    * Ted Kennedy
    * gay marriage
    * John Kerry
    * Barney Frank
    * Harvard and the libs
    * Mumbles
    * the Bulgers
    * Mike Dukakis
    * Provincetown
    * Chappaquiddick

    And now:
    the $14.6-billion Tunnel o’ Death.
    Don’t kill the job - just kill the commuters (literally).
    "Look for the union label".

    The state was already hemorrhaging people - taxpayers mostly. Take a drive through the state. How many FOR SALE signs do you see on each block? And how few of them include the attachment below that says SOLD? Have you ever seen so many FOR RENT signs in the suburbs? These are houses whose fleeing owners can’t find buyers. In Massachusetts these days, there are only sellers.

    The state's population is declining and the number of Congressional seats will have to be reduced. Let's consider the scenarios: Suppose Marty “Midas” Meehan has to dip into his $5 million warchest to take out John Tierney? Would Fidel’s man in Worcester, Jim McGovern, find himself going toe-to-toe with Bill “Chavez” Delahunt?

    One thing seems certain: There will not be any open Senate seat to tempt these pinko popinjays to “move up.” The Swimmer’s mom lived past 100, and as for Liveshot Kerry - of what possible social-climbing use is he as a gigolo to Mama T if he doesn’t have that Senator title in front of his name?

    If only the Constitution could be amended so that the implosion of Massachusetts could also eliminate a U.S. Senate seat. Lurch (Kerry) vs. the Swimmer (Kennedy) - now that would be entertainment.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 11 September, 2007 20:59  

  • Moving out of Massachusetts was the best thing I ever did.

    On the other hand, this story could help sell some more Recall Deval stickers.

    By Blogger Bruce, at 12 September, 2007 00:52  

  • The Benson Report said:

    The state's population is declining and the number of Congressional seats will have to be reduced. Let's consider the scenarios: Suppose Marty “Midas” Meehan has to dip into his $5 million warchest to take out John Tierney?...

    Unless I'm missing something, your first scenerio is not too likely, since Meehan resigned from Congress on July 1, 2007

    Thanks for your political "insight".

    By Blogger Ezsuds, at 12 September, 2007 01:45  

  • Yup, you're right. Meehan moved to another hack job just a couple months ago.

    He is the current Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.

    Amazing how these Mass politicians land these cushy jobs.

    Just like Billy Bolger who went from President of the Mass Senate to President of the University of Massachusetts.

    Billy Bolger is one of Massachusetts top hacks. Several issues have come up in public about how much he knew and aided his brother's criminal activity. Billy's brother is James "Whitey" Bulger who is still on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted Fugitive List for 18 murders, leadership in organized crime and drug dealing. The reward for Bulger's capture is $1,000,000.

    Massachusetts - the land of political corruption. Deval Patrick must feel like he is in heaven.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 12 September, 2007 10:41  

  • calling this Taxachusetts is a mark of someone who lives and dies on others' ideas and words--no one could ever come to that conclusion by experience or real, current data. In reality Massachusetts is pretty middle of the road among the states in terms of taxation any more. I am taxed MUCH MUCH less than I was when I lived in Ohio, that is for sure.

    And I don't see what the big deal is, can you argue that it wasn't a failure of human understanding? It was directly retaliatory to things the US did, and I don't think a single rational, educated person on this planet (republicans and democrats alike) would argue that. The comment doesnt imply right or wrong for us, it merely states fact.

    Its no surprise that this story is only big news within the sphere of Massachusetts politics, where people have a reason to criticize a state politician. No one outside of that is really being blown over by that.

    By Blogger Kris Lucius, at 12 September, 2007 20:22  

  • Oh, yeah? Try this on for size. The two planes that crashed into the WTC--both originated from Logan Airport.

    Now if memory serves isn't Logan in Boston, the capitol city of Kennedy/Kerry Land, pardon Massachusetts?

    Richard Reid the shoe bomber--the plane made a landing at Logan.

    By Blogger The Real Bob Anthony, at 13 September, 2007 19:10  

  • I have no idea what you are trying to prove with that, I doubt you do either.

    But if you would consult a map you'll notice that boston is in the northeast part of the country. Now go to a globe, pick any city in Europe and any major international airport in the eastern half of the US and pull a string taut between the two. If something dangerous happens in the air, like a guy tries to light his shoes on fire or a young woman is dressed a little too scantily, they will land at Boston because its usually the nearest US airport with a runway that can handle a transatlantic jumbojet. Smaller jets will sometimes land in Bangor, Maine.

    I'd love for you to expand on the significance you see between two out of the four hijacked 9/11 planes originating in Logan, and John Kerry. Please explain that one to us, I'm really looking forward to this, and I don't think I'm alone.

    Oh and by the way, we just got rid of our worst governor ever. Well, he wasnt really our governor. No one really paid attention to him, and he was rarely even in massachusetts. He was barely even a resident of the state the last two years. He didnt care about massachusetts, and most here ended up not caring for him. Once the deception became evident, his popularity rivaled Derek Jeter's around here. He would have been very roundly defeated had he sought reelection, and of course he won't even contend here in a presidential election

    By Blogger Kris Lucius, at 14 September, 2007 17:21  

  • Let's compare Massachusetts (Taxachusetts) with all 50 states.

    Info from Jon Keller, WBZ Political Analyst, and author of the Blue Estate

    "What makes Massachusetts so blue? Sluggish economic growth that stifles opportunity and erodes the standard of living for working people. An insular political culture with tunnel vision that ignores the popular will and feathers its own nest when it isn’t collapsing on innocent motorists. All of it driving worst-in-the-nation population loss as disgruntled residents vote with their feet."

    Mass Current Ranking:

    9th highest per capita state and local tax burden in the nation

    6th highest electricity cost in the nation

    5th highest median housing cost in the nation

    4th highest auto insurance cost in the nation

    4th highest natural gas cost in the nation

    and the highest water and sewer cost by far

    Top all this off with the graft and corruption courtesy of the the local hack-a-rama of politicians and union thugs.

    Doesn't sound like a Garden of Eden to me.

    By Blogger The Benson Report, at 15 September, 2007 16:13  

  • No, we were attacked for no reason whatsoever. Out of the blue. Of course our toppling of Mossadegh and the installation of the puppet Shah of Iran, our support of Israel's incursions into Egypt in an attempt to secure the Suez Canal and the Sinai, our creation, training and support of and abandonment of the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan, our involvement in the war on Lebanon, our unilateral support of Israel's occupation of the Gaza, West Bank and the Golan Heights, our propping up of Saddam Hussein, our arming of Hussein against the Iranians and the million plus Islamic deaths that resulted thereof, our invasion of Somalia, our wink-wink nudge nudge tacit approval of Hussein's invasion of Kuwait followed by our invasion of Iraq, our sanctions and enforcement of the no-fly zone of Iraq through constant bombardment that led to the death of half of million civilians, our heavy handedness against Palestinians and the Middle East, our propping up of the Saudi, Egyptian and Moroccan dictatorships... none of these were factors that led to our being attacked on 9/11.

    Out of idle curiosity dave, how many of these events even took place in Mohammed Atta's lifetime? How many of these Israeli "incursions" were just territory gained in wartime? How many U.S. military actions in the last quarter century have been against Muslim populations? (ie. Somalia, where a Muslim population was being terrorized by their Muslim warlords. Ditto Iraq, and are you telling me you're the one person on earth who hasn't discovered the 'half million casualties' were a myth?

    And are you really proposing that America should take the blame both for "propping up" dictatorships in some countries while simultaneously being blamed for removing dictatorships in others?

    By Blogger Feynman and Coulter's Love Child, at 16 September, 2007 14:45  

  • Jon Keller is a pundit, a biased and secondary source for info who sells newspapers and books by pushing anti-majority polictical unrest-- or at least tries, i don't know his book numbers, but nobody buys newspapers these days.

    Anyway, i would trust the (much loved by the GOP) Tax Foundation, who this year found Massachusetts tax burden to be 28th for state and -- but 7th when adding in Federal Taxation. So what does that mean? Massachusetts has a quite unremarkable, middle of the road tax burden from its own policy, but have a wealthier populace, a riper tax base for federal coffers. In other words, we're pulling our weight and others, subsidizing freeloaders like LA, WV, KY, IA and OH.
    http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/335.html

    By Blogger Kris Lucius, at 17 September, 2007 00:37  

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